Wet Hot American Summer
by JustAHappyMask
Summary: Summer is a time for changes, a time for friendship, a time for f r e e d o m. Candre, Bade


A/N: Well, I truly did enjoy writing this one. To be honest, I actually finished this back in July, but I'm just now getting around to posting it. I'm sorry if certain things don't make sense, but, please, just ignore it, sit back, and (hopefully) enjoy the story.

Once I finished this story, I'm not going to lie, I almost went back and made some serious changes to it. See, the thing is, I actually, really, really like Tori and Robbie, so a part of me wanted to go back and rewrite them into the entire fic. However, I decided to just leave it the way it was. Hopefully you like it this way, too.

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, nor do I own any of its characters. I also don't own any rights to the amazing Cobra Starship song 'Wet Hot American Summer' (although you should all go listen to it right away), nor do I own the movie (that I recently found out about) 'Wet Hot American Summer'.  
>I do, however, own the Victorious soundtrack, as well as the Cobra Starship soundtracks Viva la Vida! and Hot Mess.<p>

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><p>Cat wasn't stupid. Yes, she switched topics every three seconds; yes, she was entirely too positive; and yes, she talked as if she lived in a world of fantasy. But, Cat also knew what she was doing. And what she was doing was h i d i n g.<p>

Hiding her frighteningly dark thoughts from herself. Hiding her broken family from the world. Hiding the bruises from her friends. But mostly, she was hiding from the t r u t h.

Cat _knows_ that she can sing- she doesn't need anyone to tell her that. However, there is a reason (besides her friends) that she's taking acting classes at school. And that reason is so that she can learn to h i d e even better than she already does. Cat needs to learn, because Jade, her amazing, beautiful best friend, can already find the truth that she hides. And André, sweet, wonderful André, is coming very close to being able to find what Cat hides, as well. And as good as it would feel to let e v e r y o n e see e v e r y t h i n g that she hides, Cat doesn't think that she can. At least, not yet. Because right now, the thought of doing that s c a r e s the hell out of her.

* * *

><p>Cat is t i r e d of hiding, now. She's so damn tired of it, in fact, that she no longer tries to seem so airy and dimwitted. <em>All<em> of her friends are beginning to notice, now, and she can really only use the excuse of being physically tired for so long. Because, as Beck pointed out skeptically when she first used the excuse, she's _Cat_. And that means that even when she is tired, she should be too perky and too airheaded to function, just like she always is. Cat thinks that maybe she will still be able to pull it off for a little bit longer, just until summer break; and so, she holds her head up just a little bit higher, forces her smile to be just a little bit bigger, makes her voice a little bit more chipper. And before she knows it, there's only one day left before summer break, and only Jade continues to shoot her skeptical glances. Only three more minutes, Cat thinks, and then she is f r e e.

And then her shirt rides up, and André sees the bruise adorning her lower back. And the mask that she has so carefully constructed to hide behind f a l l s a p a r t.

"Where'd you get that, Little Red?" André's voice cuts through Jade and Tori's argument, and although it sends a wave of panic through her, Cat quickly stifles it and smiles widely as she turns to face her friends.

"Oh, this shirt? I bought it last week at a great little boutique over on Rodeo Drive. It was half price," Cat explains breezily, _hopingprayingwishing_ that the others won't have noticed the bruise and that André will think it was just a shadow. But as André's eyes turn sad, and as Jade's face sets into a grim stare, Cat knows that everything she tried to hide is now out in the terrifying o p e n for e v e r y o n e to see. She knows that there are going to be questions, and now she is unbearably sad, because she knows that the questions will lead to disappointment from her friends, and the last thing that she wants is for them to be disappointed in her, too. So with one last glance at André, she d i s s o l v e s into t e a r s. Through the sobs, she b e g s Jade to take her away, anywhere, just so that she does not have to share anything with Robbie or Tori or Trina, because as much as she hangs out with them, she can't let innocent Robbie hear her nightmare explanation; she can't share her experience with Trina, who wouldn't understand and whom she cannot stand; and, as sweet as she can be, Tori is just an annoying growth on the little square of friendship that she, Beck, André, and Jade make up.

"Ok," Jade's voice is thick with unshed tears, and Cat feels her best friend's reassuring arm slide around her shaking shoulder. As she is ushered blindly out of the school, she is aware of hot tears streaming down her face and people whispering and of three figures surrounding her, protecting her. They burst through the double doors at the end of the hall, out of the school and into the sunlight just as the bell rings, signaling the freedom of s u m m e r. And as she is gently placed into the backseat of Beck's car with Jade, André's svelte voice falls gently upon her ears, and once again the conversation falls silent.

"Where do you want to go, Cat?" Cat knows exactly where she wants to go, but it takes her a minute of deep breaths and biting her lower lip so hard that she draws blood in order for her to control her breathing enough so that she can force the words out.

"The park," Cat's voice is raw and shaky, but she doesn't care, because even as the tears continue to make inky marks down her face, Jade is wrapping her arms around Cat, and Beck is _drivingdrivingdriving_, and André is turning on the radio, and as Panic at the Disco's _When The Day Met The Night_ filters out, Cat feels s a f e, something she hasn't felt in a long, long time. And, finally, she feels f r e e.

* * *

><p>It's hours later, now, and the sun has set long ago, but the air has stayed warm around them. It's quiet now, too; all tears have been shed, and Cat has shared e v e r y t h i n g. She has filled the hours with the tales of abuse that started when she was young, with the anger she feels toward Tori for trying to steal Beck, and then André, away from Jade and herself, with her fears that she would never be good enough for anyone, with the tales of her own self-abuse that came in the form of food and a toilet, with the tales of how she tried to create a façade of a girl who lived in a fairytale, with the happiness she felt when she was with them, with the love she felt for the three of them for never abandoning her or giving up on her. And as she fills the hours, Jade, Beck, and André do something for her that no one has in long time: they l i s t e n. Jade strokes her hair, and André twines their fingers together, and Beck traces soothing patterns on her thigh. André's grandma and Beck's parents will be worried, but neither boy makes a move towards their phone just yet. Jade's hand stills, and she is the first one to break the peaceful silence.<p>

"Promise me." Her voice, hoarse from tears, lacks its usual venom, and Cat turns her face up to look her in the eye. "Promise me, Cat, that you will never, ever try to deal with anything like this on our own, ever again, and that you will let us help you. Please, promise me," Jade begs, and Cat is shocked, because Jade West does not beg, but before she can even open her mouth to answer, Beck is speaking, and Cat's head is swiveling in his direction.

"And promise me that you will not go back to your house, or let your father hurt you, or hurt yourself, ever again. Promise me, Cat, please," Beck's voice is strong, but there is an underlying streak of vulnerability to it, reminiscent of the few tears that he shed earlier, and Cat feels a small smile form on her face as Jade places her other hand over her boyfriend's and squeezes. Then, like a moth to a flame, Cat finds her attention drawn to André the second he opens his mouth.

"And promise me, Little Red," he pauses as her smile widens at his use of her nickname, and his hand tightens in her own hand before continuing, "that you will always, _always_ let me love you." And Cat feels a tear slip down her cheek, but it's the good kind this time, and as André's lips brushes her cheek, kissing it away, her smile blossoms into full blown grin of _happysunshinerainbows_, and she answers now, so that her three best friends will be happy, too.

"I promise," her voice, too, is raw and vulnerable, but it makes her glad to see her friends' faces break out into smiles. And she really, truly means it. And as she leans forward to be enveloped by three pairs of arms into a hug of _warmthfriendshiplove_, she silently promises to be herself, and to not hide anymore.

It's growing progressively darker, but none of them care. The park at night is beautiful, and peaceful, and t h e i r s. And, suddenly, it's raining, and they all rise to revel and bask in its welcome coolness. S l o w l y, Cat begins to turn in circles, but as the others join her, they pick up speed and momentum. If anyone was else was around to witness he friends, all they would see is four splashes of _redbrownblueblack_ swirling and spinning and dancing against the black backdrop of the park. But, no one else is around, and so the friends just keep on swirling and spinning and dancing in the rain until they all fall down, heads pressed together in a circle, laughing and panting and gasping for breath. And then André is pushing himself up onto one elbow, and he uses his free hand to brush wet tendrils of red velvet hair out of her face, and then Cat feels his soft lips brush her's, and everything finally s l i d e s i n t o p l a c e. Her eyes flutter shut and her hands find the back of his neck to pull him closer, and it is at this moment, when their tongues meet and rain continues to slide down their faces and cat-calls sound from Beck and Jade's direction, that she f a l l s i n l o v e.

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><p>Cat only breaks one promise, and she only does it at the insistence of André, Beck, and Jade. It is a week after the park, and even though the others assure her that everything will be ok, and that they will be with her the entire time, she is still nervous about re-entering her (but no, it's not her house anymore, she has to remind herself; it's just the house that she grew up in) the old house. She has her father's summer work schedule memorized, has had it down for years, and so she knows that he has a 48 hour shift, and that they will be safe to remove all of her belongings. It takes hours, and by the time they are finished, they are tired, sweaty, covered in glitter, and incredibly, undeniably happy. All of her stuffed animals, pictures, clothes, knick-knacks, CDs, blankets, posters, decorations, and m e m o r i e s are packed away into quite a few large boxes, and as she tapes the last one shut, she looks over at the window where her three best friends are gathered, and, fumbling a bit with the camera a bit, snaps a picture just as the sun hits the horizon and casts an ethereal glow behind them. Later, after they have moved all of her boxes into Jade's spare room, she goes to view the picture, and is suddenly breathless as she stares at the picture not of her friends, but of her g u a r d i a n a n g e l s.<p>

* * *

><p>It's been only a week since she moved into Jade's house, but Cat feels like she's lived there since f o r e v e r. Maybe it's because she's taken to cooking all of their meals; maybe it's because she and Jade burst out into song every time they clean the house and do the chores; maybe it's because she's spent so many nights here comforting Jade after her mother disappeared or after her father turned a cold shoulder to Jade's desperate position; or, maybe, it's because Jade is her best friend in the entire world, and because just being with Jade is like being h o m e. It's really only the two of them, because Jade's mom is g o n e, and Mr. West moved out last year. And so it's their house, their h o m e, and Cat wouldn't have it any other way.<p>

* * *

><p>It's been two weeks, now, since she moved into Jade's house, and she is spending the day with Beck. To be more specific, she is helping him pick out a ring for Jade. Not <em>the<em> ring; he'll wait until senior year is over before buying that one. This ring, he says, is more of a promise ring.

"A promise of what?" Cat notices that he no longer shoots her surprised glances when she talks, the way they all did at first when she stopped making her voice so high-pitched. He smiles at her sheepishly, instead, and rubs the back of his head, and if he wasn't Beck Oliver, Cat would swear that there was a blush on his face.

"A promise that no matter what happens, I will never let her fall," Beck's words tumble out in a rush, because, Cat thinks, he's a little embarrassed at being such a sap. But, Cat also thinks that he's being adorable, and so she smiles, grabs his hand, and begins pulling him at a faster pace towards the jewelry section of the mall. He laughs and follows, and they leave their hands curled together throughout the day, because they're _CatandBeck_, and they view each other as brother and sister. Cat sees Beck as someone to help out, someone to get advice from, someone to make happy. And she knows that Beck sees her as someone to protect, someone to laugh with, someone to listen to. And three hours later, when they finally find the perfect ring, she spots him the last twenty dollars and he lets out a whoop of joy so loud that nearby shoppers look slightly alarmed. Cat laughs in delight as he swings her around in a hug before grabbing the Claddagh ring from the jeweler. Cat knows that Beck will always be there to catch Jade, and so she stays tight-lipped about their mall trip until, three hours later when the four of them are eating dinner together, Beck slips the silver ring onto the ring finger of Jade's right hand when she asks him to pass the salt. Cat smiles, but as a tear slips down Jade's cheek, she finds herself suddenly holding back tears. She laughs as Jade eagerly kisses Beck, and tries to wipe at her own tears, but then André is holding her hand, and all she can do is look back, smile, and f e e l t h e l o v e.

* * *

><p>It's been a week since Cat went ring shopping, which means that it's been a full month since she stopped h i d i n g. It's the night after a hard rain when she first realizes this, and at first she only smiles. But as she turns back to look at André, Beck, and Jade, she wants to weep, to skip, to praise any higher deity for the moment that André saw her bruise, for the moment that changed everything, for the moment that gave her <em>this<em>. Jade is on Beck's back, playing with his hair, and André is walking next to them, and all three of them are laughing at something Beck has just said about Sikowitz. Even though it is nighttime, it is so hot out that Beck and André are in shorts and tank tops, and Jade and Cat are both wearing bikini tops and short shorts. Cat isn't sure where they are for a minute, as the others catch up to her and she turns back around, but then they turn a corner and she realizes that they've wound up right back where this all started: at _their _park. It's been a month since she's been here, but it feels more like it's been an eternity. All conversation and chatter dies away, and Jade slowly slips off Beck's back. It's almost a shock, seeing the place that so infinitely change their dynamic and their outlook on e v e r y t h i n g. Cat feels André's hand slide into hers, squeezing it reassuringly, and she turns back to smile at him before kicking her sandals off. The others follow suit, and then they all step barefoot into the damp grass. Slowly, Cat starts to build up her speed, until she is pulling her hand away from André's and running, running so fast that she feels like she is f l y i n g. She stops, laughing, as she reaches the swing set, and she hears the others laughing just behind her as they catch up. They are all winded, trying to breathe with smiles on their faces, and nothing has ever felt so natural, so r i g h t. When she can finally breathe again, she leans forward and raises herself up on her toes to capture André's lips. As Jade cheers her on and Beck begins laughing again, the skies open up, and they all quickly become soaked. She pulls away from her boyfriend smiling, and he spontaneously picks her up and begins twirling her around. They should probably be worried about catching a cold, but as André sets her down, all Cat can do is whisper _I love you_ into the space in between them. Jade and Beck are kissing now, and it is nearing 1:00 am, and the warmth of the rain keeps sliding down their faces, but all Cat can do is focus on André's mouth as he smiles and whispers _I love you, too_. It has been a month since they've been to this park, and everything has changed.

But, Cat thinks as Jade grabs her hand and begins dancing with her, and as the boys begin sliding on the muddied grass, it has only changed for the better.


End file.
